Sentencing
by allknowing12
Summary: Many cases in Law and Order: UK are completed without us ever finding out what sentence was passed for each crime. This is an attempt to address that, with the sentencing remarks from the judge for various unresolved episodes.


I do not own the Law and Order franchise or any of it's associated characters, stories or intellectual properties. All copyright rests with the franchises' creators and owners.

* * *

These are the sentencing remarks of the judge from "Masquerade", from Series 3 episode 6.

**Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service**

**THE QUEEN**

**-V-**

**SALLY DOUGLAS**

**IN THE CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT**

**14****th**** OCTOBER 2010**

**SENTENCING REMARKS OF MRS JUSTICE BLAKE**

Sally Douglas, you have been found guilty of the murder of Archie Rahman. The sentence for murder is fixed by law; it is one of life imprisonment. I am required to set a minimum tariff, a set period of years where it will not be possible for the Parole Board to release you. After these years have expired, it will then be possible for the Parole Board to release you on license, if and when you are safe for release to the general public. However it may be that the Parole Board never sees fit to release you, in which case, you will spend the remainder of your life in prison. I must warn you also, that if you are released on parole, this is not the end of your sentence. You will be on a license for the rest of your life. Should the Parole board or the Home Secretaries' office feel it necessary, you may be recalled to prison at any time to serve the remainder of your sentence. This will likely be the case if you were to commit an offence whilst on release on license. It is also possible, and something I must consider in my sentencing, whether your offending is of such seriousness and your risk to the general public so great, that it will never be safe to release you and thus whether I must sentence you to a whole-life order, which in plain terms, would mean that you would never have any prospect of release and would die in prison.

There are several factors I must consider in this case. Firstly, I do not believe that in this case it would be appropriate for a whole-life order to be passed. This is because your crime does fit the specific criteria for a whole-life tariff; I do not believe the murder was carried out with any degree of substantial pre-meditation, it was only one single murder and I do not believe it was committed for any sexual or sadistic purposes.

However this was indeed a shocking, violent crime with several aggravating factors. There is no doubt that on August 16th 2010, you stabbed Archie Rahman in his flat multiple times and you fully intended to kill him. You lied consistently, not only about your involvement in the murder, but once confronted with your guilt, you also smeared the name of an innocent man, when you claimed he drugged and raped you, which you then, under oath, admitted he did not. Lying to a court of law is a very serious crime in its own right and has done nothing to aid you in sentencing. The starting point term for an adult who has committed a violent murder involving a bladed weapon, is one of 25 years. However, your efforts to conceal your crime by enticing others to lie for you and your own lying, was to such a degree, it is possible the police could have charged you with attempting to pervert the course of justice. As it is, this will significantly raise your minimum term, to 30 years.

However, I must also consider the remorse you have shown for the crime. You clearly loved Archie Rahman very dearly and through observing you in this trial, I can clearly see your remorse for your actions. Your extremely damaging relationship with your father must be taken into account in mitigation also. I believe your father was extremely controlling and that you suffered significant physical abuse at his hands, notably the spiral fracture you suffered to your arm. I believe this to be down to your father's personal views on people of other ethnicities, which created a climate of fear for you, particularly as you had fallen in love with Archie. Indeed, were it not for this climate of fear, you would not have committed this murder in the first place. With this in mind I am reducing your minimum term by 2 years.

With all factors considered, both aggravating and mitigating, Sally Douglas, the sentence I impose upon you for the murder of Archie Rahman, is one of life imprisonment with a minimum term of 28 years. The days you have spent on remand will be deducted from this to produce your final minimum term. I trust the Home Secretaries' office will make the necessary adjustments.


End file.
